Mass produced wooden pencils are cheap and may be readily sharpened by simple pencil sharpeners. Such pencils are generally round or hexagonal in shape and for the most part are manufactured to a standard size for whichever of these shapes.
When a pencil is sharpened, the length is shortened, and continuing sharpening may result in the pencil becoming too short to conformably use. Some people are unable to use a pencil so compromised, and others will avoid their use, or discard them before their time.
Accessories for lengthening the effective length of wooden pencils have been proposed. Accessories of this type typically have a tubular body and means for retaining the accessory within the body. Difficulty with such types of retaining means is that in use, it is difficult to retain the pencil within the body in a sufficiently firm manner. For example, the pencil may be pushed inwardly and/or wobble during use.
It is therefore an object of the invention to provide an accessory which may increase the effective length of a writing implement.
Another object is to provide an accessory which can firmly hold a writing implement in place during use.
An alternative object is to provide an accessory for a writing implement which may provide the public with a useful or commercial choice.
According to a broad form of the invention there is provided an accessory for increasing the effective length of a writing implement, the accessory including;
a tubular body having a passage adapted to axially receive a writing implement therethrough,
the body having a threaded portion disposed towards the writing end of a writing implement therein and
a retaining member which is threadably engagable with the threaded portion, and when engaged, the writing implement is selectively retained in an axial location within the passage.
The threaded portion may be located either internally or externally on the body. The retaining member is typically threaded on the other of it's internal or external surface so as to allow threadable engagement with the body.
In a preferred embodiment the body has an internal thread and the retaining member is in the form of a plug having an external thread and a bore for receiving a writing implement. Typically, the bore of the plug is complimentary to the cross section of the writing implement. For example, where the implement is a hexagonal pencil, the bore will have a hexagonal cross section. An advantage of such an arrangement is that a single body having a circular passage may be used to hold writing implements' of any desired cross section by simply providing a plug having the desired cross section. This can significantly decrease manufacturing costs.
In the embodiment where the body has an external thread, the retaining member is typically in the form of an internally threaded ring or sleeve. In this embodiment, at least that part of the passage disposed towards the writing end is typically complimentary to the cross section of the writing implement.
Typically, either one or both of the threaded portion or retaining member are tapered such that as the thread is tightened, the internal surface of the passage or the retaining member, as the case may be, contacts and retains the writing implement. To facilitate retention of the writing implement, the part i.e. the retaining member or body, that contacts the writing implement has at least one split or slot. As the two parts are threadably engaged, the splits or slots close up so as to reduce the cross section of the passage or bore and tighten against the writing implement.
In another form of the invention, either the retaining member or body has at least one tab associated with the respective threaded portion. In this embodiment, when the retaining member and threaded portion are engaged and tightened, the at least one tab is urged inwardly to contact and retain the writing implement. Typically, the at least one tab has at least one threadable ridge located on the outer face thereof for threaded engagement with the bore or retaining member as appropriate. The bore or retaining member which threadably engage the tab may be tapered such that as the two parts are threaded together, the tabs are urged inwardly. Alternatively, or in addition to, the height of the ridges may be tapered away from the writing end.
According to a further form of the invention there is provided an accessory for a writing implement including;
a tubular body having a passage adapted to axially receive a writing implement therethrough,
a retaining member engagable with the body and when engaged is disposed towards the writing end of a writing implement retained therein and
at least one tab located on the body or the retaining member and when the retaining member and body are engaged, the at least one tab is urged towards the writing implement so as to retain the writing implement within the passage.
According to still a further form of the invention there is provided an accessory for a writing implement including;
a tubular body having a passage adapted to axially receive a writing implement therethrough, the body having an internal threaded portion located thereon and disposed towards the end of a writing implement held thereby and
a retaining member having an outer portion for threadable engagement with the body, a bore for axially receiving the writing implement and at least one tab such that when the body and retaining member are engaged the at least one tab is urged towards the writing implement so as to retain the writing implement within the passage.
In any of the embodiments of the invention, either the retaining member or the body may have a textured finger griping portion to facilitate the ease of a user to tighten or untighten the retaining member with respect to the body. Additionally or in addition to, the gripping surface may be formed form a resilient material such as a resilient plastics material.
The body may take any suitable form. Writing implements such as pens and propelling pencils may be constructed having a contoured gripping portion, whereas it is impractical to manufacture pencils thus. It is accordingly preferred to provide at least part of the outer surface of the body with a gripping surface.
The body may also be shaped in an ergonomic manner to allow a person to more easily hold the accessory than they would a conventional wooden pencil or ball point pen. For example, an accessory of an embodiment of the invention may be used by the elderly and/or those suffering from arthritis or other disability which may prevent or make it difficult for them from holding a conventional writing implement.
The body may be of any suitable length and is typically of a length which may extend the effective length of a writing implement. The body may advantageously be formed from plastic or metal and preferably from a thermoplastics material such as a polyolefin. Preferably the length of the body ranges from a minimum length for comfortably holding of the retained writing implement in use, up to about the length of a standard pencil. Typical lengths range from about 50 to about 170 mm most preferably between about 60 mm to about 100 mm.
The body may be provided with a pocket clip or the like to enable a pencil to have the pocket storage advantages of other writing implements so equipped.